The invention concerns an actuation system for flaring and controlling a load-bearing paraglider and a method to implement it.
Such load-bearing paragliders can be used to deposit large loads e.g. from aeroplanes or to land manned or unmanned aircraft or aeroplanes. The control elements of paragliders that carry comparatively large loads are exposed to comparatively large control forces and comparatively long control paths. State-of-the-art actuators used to control such load-bearing paragliders are control units with electrical motors and winches that are fed by a battery. A disadvantage of the provided actuation systems is that they only apply limited power and force to control the paraglider. Another disadvantage of the load-bearing paragliders with a controller or actuator is that the actuator comprises a relatively large amount of the overall weight of the entire system consisting of the load-bearing paraglider and controller/actuator, so that the useful load borne by the paraglider must be reduced, or the load-bearing paraglider must be relatively large. Another disadvantage of state-of-the-art load-bearing paragliders is that the utilised controllers/actuators are relatively expensive. This is particularly disadvantageous since the entire system is lost when used for military purposes. Another disadvantage of prior-art load-bearing paragliders is that the energy store (battery) has a limited capacity which makes the precise placement of the load impossible in many cases. During flight, the controller/actuator must be operated many times to precisely place the loads, in particular when the paraglider drifts away from a predetermined flight path due to wind, or when the provided landing site cannot be reached due to an excessive loss of height, and an alternate landing site must be targeted.
The problem of the invention is therefore to provide an actuation system to manoeuvre a load-bearing paraglider and a method to move the control surfaces with minimal energy.
According to the invention, a mechanical actuation system is used where the required force and path as well as the work or output to be applied is obtained from the energy that is released when the distance between the load and the paraglider is shifted. A mechanical transmission causes a comparatively large control force and a comparatively large output to be applied with a comparatively small amount of energy. An advantage of the invention is that the overall system and in particular the control and actuation system have a relatively simple construction so that it is economical to manufacture. Given the simple construction, there is also less effort involved in servicing and repairing the load-bearing paraglider.